


Puppy Love

by Ameliapoand



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Affectionate Insults, Banter, Best Friends, Cute, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Funny, Gen, Happy Ending, Humor, Love, Love Triangles, Multi, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 03:13:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2835905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ameliapoand/pseuds/Ameliapoand
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The group stages an intervention for Alistair who feels like he is being bullied by Dog. Completely probable. Lots of light vibes and happy feelings :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puppy Love

As usual, my night began with me jolting awake in a panic.

“GAH!” 

Both eyes snapped open, but all I saw was darkness. Oh no. Was I hurt? Was I blind?

Was I dead?

No… wait. This all seemed familiar somehow. A single moment passed, and I forced my trembling limbs to still. 

Silence.

Ah… so it was just another dream, then. As I thought.

A heavy breath escaped through my lips and I could feel the ground below me absorb every indent of my body while it sagged in relief. How many times had this happened before? How many darkspawn dreams was I supposed to endure? How many times did I have to watch my friends die before me while being completely powerless?

When would it all end?

I couldn't help but scowl slightly at the thought. Ridiculous. After all, I just wanted to sleep! It wasn't like I was asking for the whole of Thedas to come together at a moment’s notice for world peace, right?

“Alistair,” I groaned angrily. “Are you awake?”

But there was no answer. When I finally rolled over on my side, I found his side of the tent empty save for a pile of crumpled blankets resting where I would normally curl up and lay my head. My heart suddenly constricted as dim remnants of the previous nightmare washed over me in pointed thoughts, nipping and tearing at my tired mind. It was enough to make me shudder, and so I pushed back the sweaty hair from my elven face and steadily got to my feet, checking to make sure that Alistair’s tunic wasn’t bunched around my legs in an awkward manner. 

Guess he couldn't sleep either.

Carefully peeling the tent’s opening out of my way, I stifled a yawn and stepped out into the summer’s warm night, not surprised to find several members of our troop already gathered around a campfire and talking animatedly. I spotted Leliana first if only because of the light’s shadows dancing across her crimson hair. She seemed to be in a heated discussion with Sten, who looked utterly bored as usual with both bulky arms folded over his chest. I almost giggled at the sight of them - didn't Sten ever smile? They paid me no attention as I shuffled closer to where they had congregated, however, and my gaze shifted over towards the familiar curve of two broad shoulders only a few feet away from them. 

It was no use - it was like I forgot how to breathe every single time my eyes laid upon his perfect face. He looked tired in the campfire’s glow, though the lines creasing the skin underneath his eyelashes did nothing to distract me from his handsome demeanor. His body had already shifted towards mine by the time I had finished my approach, but his gaze followed shortly after, and I was surprised to see Morrigan sitting adjacent to him, with Sir, my mabari, on her other side.

“There you are,” I sighed happily while coming to a stop in front of my three friends, “What are you all doing up so -“

“Lyna! Control your dog this instant!”

I stopped short at Alistair’s interruption, mostly because of the tone of his voice. It was high-pitched and almost… _whiny._

I swallowed carefully and looked down where my beloved Warden sat. “Why should I… what?”

“He’s being mean to me!” Alistair grumbled, his angled cheeks gone hard and flushed. I paused, still unsure of the situation, and finally sank onto the knee he had positioned out for me to perch on.

“Alistair, are you… pouting?” 

The warmth of the campfire was nearly nonexistent in light of the circumstances, and I arched an eyebrow at him while he tried - and failed, to coherently form a response. It seemed no one was going to explain what was going on, and so I reluctantly turned to Morrigan, who rested comfortably with a smirk on her face and a dusty book in her lap.

“Can you please tell me what the problem is?” I asked her curiously. “Should I be worried about mutiny or something?”

If I was concerned before, I was soon terrified to witness Morrigan’s smirk widen into a full-blown grin, the campfire's light glinting off her teeth in an ominous fashion. She almost vibrated with a tangible sort of smugness, and I felt my own face pale in response at the prospect of a satisfied Morrigan. 

However, her voice remained the same, disinterested level it always did when she spoke and my nerves settled down once more. “I don’t think we should fear the possibility of mutiny so much as our dear Alistair’s ability to perceive what is reality and what is… well - the opposite.”

“Even when you’re not outwardly calling me names you still sound like a massive bi—“

Alistair growled lowly when I slapped my palm over his mouth. Morrigan merely beamed.

“Morrigan, please,” I asked seriously, “Just spit it out.”

I said nothing as Alistair began licking my hand, though I was quick to yank it away from his face and wrap it around his neck for support as he leaned into me. Morrigan’s smile faded slightly as Alistair clasped his hands tighter around my waist, and she brought a hand to her bangs, proceeding to run each finger through the loose strands, like a curtain of midnight.

“As you wish. Alistair is simply under the impression that Sir does not approve of your romantic relationship. ’Tis hardly surprising, at any rate. It was just a matter of time before our templar deferred to every member of the group who expressed a higher level of intelligence than he.”

I grinned unexpectedly, feeling my gaze shift to my massive mabari nearly situated on top of Morrigan’s lap. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I should be concerned about these two getting along, though all I felt now was warm contentment that traveled to every part of my exhausted body. Finally, after all of my efforts to make this happen... Sir and Morrigan were no longer adversaries. Everyone - with the exception of Alistair and Morrigan - was getting along. I could feel my face still beaming with euphoria.

Now to fix _them._

“Alistair?” I probed without looking at him, my eyes still trained on the unlikely pair of comrades beside us.

He sighed, angrily nuzzling his face into my neck, and I could feel his whiskers scrape against my collar bone. “Well, of course it’s going to sound ridiculous when you put it like that but it’s true! Ever since we… _you know,_ Sir has been putting the most disgusting things in my pack! Wet things, rotting things… He never did that _before!_ And you should just see the looks he gives me when no one else is watching. I swear, if looks could kill, I'd have half a dozen daggers sticking out of my face by now. Oh, Lyna… make no mistake. That damn dog has it out for me, I know it. He’s a monster.”

“Sir is not a monster,” Morrigan purred sweetly while reaching down to ruffle his neck. “Sir a very resourceful creature, which is far more than you can say for yourself. Aren’t you, you clever boy?”

Before this moment, in all of my eighteen years on this world, I had never tried harder to stifle a laugh. Sweet Andraste, it felt like a balloon of lightness trying to fight its way out of my chest, and that if I didn't let it go eventually, I'd blow up. What in the world was happening to these people? Alistair grumbled dejectedly, his hands and arms still fastened around me as I sat upon him. Sir was blinking sleepily at Morrigan who had started to scratch him affectionately around the ears, and I remained there, unable to stop being both astonished and dumbfounded at the entire situation.

Was everybody going crazy tonight?

I leaned forward then, ignoring Alistair tugging at me possessively while I joined Morrigan in her very public and unusual display of affection for my mabari.

“Si-ir,” I half-sang to his knowing face, “What do you have to say for yourself, hm?” Sir growled happily in response and licked my hand a few times before nuzzling my palm in a similar manner to the way Alistair had nuzzled my neck.

Alistair moaned pitifully. “I assumed that your clan would be disappointed to learn of our relationship due to my human heritage, but I never in a million years would have imagined the same going for you and your mutt as well. That’s just on a whole new level of wrong.”

I turned to see Alistair already smirking at me, his lips curved upwards in the perpetual smile they always wore. “You do know he can understand everything you’re saying, right?” I reminded him. 

“Oh, trust me. I know.” He chuckled once before leaning in towards Sir, their faces only inches apart. “Man-ip-u-lation,” Alistair pronounced slowly. “There’s a vocabulary word for you.”

But Sir only blinked at him, the very picture of grace and innocence.

“Now you see, that’s just twisted,” Alistair scoffed, pulling himself away from Sir. “A pet that can still lie to your face without even speaking a word. That’s what you want. Great job, Lyna. Thanks for this.”

And that was it. I blew up. Hard. I don’t know how long I laughed for, but I was soon out of control, my breathing ragged and irregular as hot tears flooded down my cheeks in thick rivers of mirth. I couldn't even keep my eyes open to see how the rest of the party was reacting - that was how hard the giggles came in, each one ripping through my stomach like dull punches to the gut. It was the most genuine laugh I’d had in ages - perhaps, years even - and I heard Alistair join me shortly after my outburst, with Morrigan jumping in a minute or two later. 

“This is the most… ridiculous thing... I have ever heard of,” I sputtered out in between heaving breaths, barely able to maintain consciousness. “Maker, I think I'm going to pass out.”

But they only laughed harder. As our reckless cackling soon dissolved into the dry, warm twilight, I started to wonder. Maybe tonight wasn’t a defeat after all. Maybe there could be small victories amidst this terrible and treacherous war. Maybe, just maybe, tonight was one of them.

I could live with that.


End file.
